EDINBURGH 2023: Review: CHASING BUTTERFLIES, Pleasance Dome

The Butterfly Butcher is terrorising East London. As the number of people assaulted and brutalised in their own homes grows, detective Richards is trying to find a lead. The case is consuming him, isolating him from his family and turning him into something he might not be. Ella Seber-Rajan writes a thrilling investigation inside the conversation relating to nature versus nurture when it comes to serial killers.

Tipping into the contemporary interest in murders and their perpetrators, Chasing Butterflies is a compelling, engrossing play that will have you hooked until the very end. While the suspicions of the farsighted may be correct from the start, a riveting origin story and an extensive list of gory details keep them on their toes.

While the actor is slightly too young to come off as the weathered veteran of the law, he gives an impressively intense performance. As his character slips into compulsion, he amps up the pace of his delivery to a machine-gun speed before morbid moments of silence break up the horror he hears on the news.

A haunted look precedes the devilish grin in his eyes, instilling mistrust and toying with the scepticism in the audience. In essence, it’s a great choice for those into true crime and thrillers. It won’t give a thorough insight into the investigative process and it’s not an overly exceptional storyline, but it’s a clever, intriguing tale of how fascination can tip into obsession. 

Chasing Butterflies runs at the Pleasance Dome on the following dates: 6-8, 10-15, 17-22, 24-28 August.

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